Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-10-17
FHK COMMITTEE OF NECESSITY.

FHK COMMITTEE OF NECESSITY.
We have heretofore referred to move
ment on foot in San Francisco looking 10
the organization of Committee of Neces-
sity, the avowed purpose of which is TO
bring to bear upon the administration Of
public justice the influence of the virtue
and intelligence Of the metropolis. This
movement within the body of society at
the Bay City, upon closer view, presents
many interesting features bearing upon
the great questions of social science, and
especially upon the science of municipal
government. II is significant as a social
phenomenon in many directions. There
rs even an aspect in which it is entirely
new. Hitherto vigilance committees have
been organized for the purpose of forcibly
restraining the lawless element by meeting
out summary justice, and of clearing the
social and political atmosphere of local
ity by tempest Of partially regulated
violence.
Vigilance Committees have usually been
attempts to regulate by summary methods
social and political Irregularities. They
have been attended with more or less law
lessness, which, receiving the sanction of
the entire community. conferred upon
them pseudo or doubtful lawfulness. In
many localities, under many extraordinary
circumstances and conditions which have
arisen, especially upon the constantly
advancing frontier of civilization, they
have been IN measure cxcusable as the
only effective methods of protecting life and
property. Their methods have always
been severe, and often brutal. Next to
this grossest and most brutal form of vol
untary association among men in the in
terest OF law and order, and which, unfor-
sunstely, have usually resulted in Iapless-
ness and disorder, stand the spontaneous
uprisings for the purpose of controlling the
offices, or of putting better class of men
into official station.
Tho control of political organizations in
large cities usually falls into the hands of
the boss class, and where political bossism
and an elective Judiciary exist side by side
as established and even recognized insti tu-
tons, venality is as inevitable as the effect
of the law of gravity. Hence, spontaneous
uprisings, disregarding political align
ments, have occurred, the object of which
Is to get possession Of the public Offices, or
rather to place the functions of public Office
in the hands of the better classes of citi-
Iens. independent political action Among
citizens is one form Of Vigilance Committee
remedy.
All organized efforts having the control
Of public offices for their objects sooner or
later fall into the hands Of cliques and re-
suit in evils quite as obnoxious to any
higher sense as the abuses which they
we're originally intended to remedy. The
Committee of Necessity now forming in
she city Of San Francisco proceeds upon a
new plan of activity. 1t is not intended
to put the lawless element in terror of
iynch-law methods; it is not designed to
control the election of officers. It is de-
signed to bring to bear directly upon the
Officers elected, first, instrumentalities
with which public justice can be properly
administered, and second, the moral re-
Enforcement of high public encourage
ment.
1t Will De interesting to review briefly
the conditions from which tbs movement
is a revolt, and against which it is intended
to be protest. Careful estimates from
6ell-informed sources place the adult male
criminal and lawless element of the city of
San Francisco at 1000 In this class are
included all those who make livelihood
by Legitimate means, including also the
ex-conviet class, the distinctiyely criminal
class, the prohigate, mendicant and va
grant classes. All these are embraced in
single class for political purposes, which
may be designated as the yenal element.
1t is upon this element that bossism
acts directly. The high-thinking, self
respecting politician. seeking to accomplish
results and refusing to become party to
the baser uses of the venal element, finds
himself deprived of powerful weapon.
The boss, however, who, through the use
OF money, acts upon the venal element,
solidifes it as political force with all the
discipline and effectiveness of well or
ganized army.
The caucus is the initial mold in which
our institutions are cast AS is caucus. so
is the convention; as is the convention, so
is the candidate; as is the candidate, so is
the public officer. The first bent and d.
rection, therefore, given to political result
Is by the caucus. 1t is notorious that
single gang of FOUNDERS, known in our
metropolitan city as "rockrollers" or
" lambs" pass from precinct to precinct in
that city during caucus campaign, cap
ture the caucus organizations, and turn
over to the bosses the delegations to the
counties, city and State conventions, bound
hand and foot. The delegations, the inte-
gral portions of the convention, thus in
the hands of boss, the entire ticket will
be boss ticket from Governor to Pound
keeper, including in its range the entire
personnel of the Judiciary. A County
Clerk and County Sheriff being creatures
of the boss, the complexion of the Grand
Jnries win naturally correspond to the
character of the boss controlling the Offices
under whose direction that important body
is formed, and viii, as a consequence,
conform 10 his wishes.
1t has been charged, and with much
show of confirming evidence, that for some
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